The present invention relates generally to a vehicle having a body structure designed to allow for layered roof build construction.
The typical construction of an automotive vehicle involves joining various individual stamped sheet metal parts into multi-piece subassemblies. Commonly, there are four main large subassemblies, which are the underbody, the left-hand body side, the right-hand body side, and the roof. A conventional method of joining the subassemblies together, referred to as modular roof construction, involves clamping together the main subassemblies plus some smaller parts in tooling called a framing station. The parts are then joined, by welding or other means, while in this framing station. For various design, costs, and structural reasons associated with particular vehicles, the modular roof construction assembly method may be less desirable than a method where the roof is attached to the other main subassemblies after the framing station.
A layered build roof construction method allows the roof to be joined to the other large subassemblies after the framing station. This, of course, requires a special design that allows the roof to be mounted on and affixed to the other body structure after the other main subassemblies have been joined in the framing station. Such designs must also allow for tolerances between the roof and other body structure, since the other main subassemblies that make up the other body structure have already been permanently attached to each other.
One such design for a layered build roof construction mounts the roof to an outer body side panel with an intentional gap between the upper surfaces of the two. This allows for both mounting the roof after the framing station and accepting tolerances in the body structure. This gap, with the welding at the bottom of the gap, is then covered with a plastic or rubber roof molding to hide the welds and fill in the gap. The roof moldings, however, add to the cost of the vehicle, as well as limit the design options for the visual appearance of the vehicle.
Another design for a layered build roof construction eliminates the roof molding by providing a roof with side mounting flanges angled at approximately 45 degrees that mate with corresponding angled mounting flanges on outer body side panels in order to allow for tolerances between the width of the roof and the distance between the outer body side panels. A high-quality joining method, such as laser brazing attachment, is then used to provide an outer surface with a quality appearance without requiring a roof molding.
But this other design creates an issue at the roof corner—that is, the location where the body side frame, roof panel, and windshield come together. Namely, the flanges of the roof and body side frame come together at an angle of about 45 degrees in order to allow for the tolerances in the parts and assembly, but the body side frame provides a portion of the surround for the glass attachment, which needs an angle of about 83 degrees in order to mount the glass properly. To avoid this discontinuity, and possible creation of a hole that would need to be sealed, the roof and windshield flanges are offset so they are not in-line. A plastic or rubber windshield molding is then added along the body side frame over the windshield in order to give the aesthetically pleasing appearance that the roof and windshield are aligned with one another. Unfortunately, with this design, the savings from eliminating roof moldings is significantly reduced or eliminated because of the need to add windshield moldings. Moreover, the ability to style the vehicle as desired is again limited due to the fact that this windshield molding is needed.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a body structure for a vehicle that allows for a layered build roof construction, while also eliminating the need for roof or glass moldings and still maintaining an aesthetically pleasing vehicle appearance.